Dishing Up the Dirt

White Bean Cauliflower Soup with Bacon Gremolata

Creamy, comforting and delicious. This soup was the highlight of our weekend and with good reason; it’s simple to prepare, hearty and will warm you from the inside out. For my plant based friends out there, this dish can easily be made vegan if you omit the bacon. I’d still prepare the gremolata and maybe add a pinch of smoked paprika for a smokey flair. We have some really good quality bacon in our freezer from the farm season and as we try to eat through all of our preserved winter food (in an effort to make room for the spring bounty) you’ll start to see a tiny bit more meat on the blog. With that being said, veggies excite me and make up the majority of our diet so they’ll still continue to shine!

I was originally going to make this soup with a traditional gremolata (parsley, garlic, lemon zest) but since we have bacon that we need to use I thought it sounded like a lovely addition. I also went a little further and added ground almonds for some texture and I’m thrilled with this simple topping. In fact, the gremolata would taste great on a variety of dishes– baked potatoes, pasta and even a green salad. It’s simple yet oh so flavorful!

This soup is filling without weighing you down and perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Serve with a side salad and glass of your favorite house wine and you’re all set. Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm.

 

White Bean Cauliflower Soup with Bacon Gremolata

Prep Time: 20 minutes    Cook Time: 25 minutes    Serves: 4

Soup
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 leek, minced, white and light green parts only
  • 1 medium sized yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 head of cauliflower (about 1 1/2 pounds) broken into florets
  • 5 cups of water + additional to thin if necessary
  • 1 (15 ounce) can of cannellini beans, drained
  • salt and pepper to taste
Bacon Gremolata
  • 3 strips of good quality thick cut bacon
  • 1/2 cup unsalted almonds
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

Preparation

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the leek and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and 1 teaspoon of salt. Continue to cook, stirring often for about 1 minute. Add the cauliflower and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the beans and let cool for about 5 minutes before transfering the soup to a high speed blender. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy (you may need to do this in batches). Return the soup to the pan and keep on low until ready to serve. Taste test and season with additional salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add a touch more water to thin if necessary.
  2. While the soup cooks prepare the gremolata. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. Remove from the heat and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. When cool enough to handle chop into small pieces. Place the almonds in a small food processor and process until they are finely chopped, being careful not to over process into a nut butter--you want a little texture here. In a bowl toss the bacon, almonds, minced parsley and lemon zest together.
  3. To assemble divide the soup between bowls and top with a small spoonful of the gremolata.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Taste test as you good *Cooking times will very


Leave a Reply

14 thoughts on “White Bean Cauliflower Soup with Bacon Gremolata

  1. Barbara says:

    I wish the font was not so faint. Hard to read the recipe!

  2. Jeanette says:

    another recipe with cauliflower – hurrah!!!!!!!!

  3. Elaine says:

    Can’t wait to try a vegan version!

    1. Andrea says:

      Elaine I came across this recipe for coconut “bacon” which may be something to try for a vegan version! Let me know if you make this!
      http://www.simple-veganista.com/2013/05/coconut-bacon.html

  4. Agata says:

    Hi 🙂
    I made that soup yesterday. I love that kind of recipes; it’s simple, quick and delicious. Thanks 🙂

    1. Andrea says:

      so happy you enjoyed the soup! Thanks for the lovely comment!

    2. Andrea says:

      I’m so happy you loved the soup as much as we do! Thanks for the comment. Happy cooking!

  5. Shelley says:

    This soup was so yummy and a great healthy, filling meal. I added half of a sweet potato too. But the gremolata topping took it over the top. I could put that on everything! Thanks as always!

  6. Emily says:

    Made this soup last night, perfect for the rainy Sunday evening we had. The gremolata added some great crunch and the thyme was perfect. This was a great soup for a light dinner. Thanks!

  7. I had quite a bit of cauliflower to use up , the last of our spring harvest, so I made this yesterday and again today 🙂 Amazing recipe! This is so good, and your Gremolata ; delicious! I am so impressed by your creativity with recipes, and your energy!

  8. Aniesa says:

    This is divine. Delish.

  9. Aniesa says:

    This is fantastic. Hands down delish.

  10. Aniesa says:

    I just commented only to see that I liked it so much I apparently wrote nearly the same comment when I made it the first time several months ago

    1. Andrea says:

      Ha! I love it!!

Sign up

Fresh recipies delivered to your inbox!